Duros

Though humanoid in form and stature, the Duros are easily recognized by their bulbous red eyes and prominent bald heads. They have only thin slits for mouths, and their rubbery facial skin begins to wrinkle as soon as they reach adulthood. Typical complexions can range in hue from a very dark blue to faded turquoise, and give off a faintly moist sheen in good health. No visible nasal formations or 'ears' are present on Duros of either sex: olfactory glands are hidden in fine folds beneath the eyes. Females of the species are chiefly distinguishable by their taller, more willowy build. Although cold-blooded by nature, Duros give birth to live young, and it is customary for bonded pairs to care for their own offspring from the neonatal larval stage on into adulthood.

One of the earliest races in the galaxy to take to the stars, the Duros have a long history, and may express quite a justifiable amount of pride about their civilization's accomplishments. Introduced to space technology many millenia ago while enslaved by the legendary Infinite Empire, the Duros eventually rebelled to form their own planetary monarchy. Later they would work closely with the Corellians to invent hyperspace cannon technology, an essential precursor to the on-board navigation systems of the present era, and go on to become one of the founding powers of the early Republic.

As their single-minded focus on the space industry eventually created terrible pollution on their homeworld, Duro, the majority of the Duros moved long ago to floating city-stations and industrial centers orbiting the planet. Conscientious recycling efforts and advanced terraforming techniques, perfected over thousands of years, eventually managed to reverse much of the damage, and agriculture as well as urban development has once again become feasible on Duro's surface. Nevertheless, a significant percentage of Duros still claim they feel most comfortable living in the stations and shipyards which cluster thickly about their temperate world.

The most venerable institution in Duro's orbit, the Academy of Deep Space Exploration, has been training both male and female Duros to seek their fortunes in the galactic economy for millennia. Graduates of the Academy are famous for their ability to make accurate interstellar jumps even when provided with poor charts and limited information, having perfected a seeming sixth sense for bringing ships safely in and out of hyperspace. Because of this, and because of their galaxy-wide reputation as calm, reliable workers, Duros are especially valued in ship production enterprises and sought-after as interstellar pilots.

Duros can also make uniquely reliable lending partners, for in certain levels of Duros society any failure to stick to the formal terms of a loan agreement can damage an individual's reputation for life. It should be noted, however, that exceptions to the Duros' generally tolerant nature vis-à-vis other species do exist. While genetic testing has long since proven that they share a common ancestor with Nemodians, many Duros still refuse to recognize the relationship, and consider calling an individual a 'Nemodian' the direst of insults.

With their photographic memories, some Duros also choose to become extraordinary storytellers, renowned galaxy-wide for their ability to learn a wide range of narratives by heart, and perform them all with stunning accuracy. Tales of daring escapes and strange discoveries in the blackness of unexplored space, recorded for posterity by iconic masters of the craft, remain classics on the galactic holonet to this day. The native Duros language is Durese, or Durosian, though most individuals who travel off-world are also fluent in Basic, a required subject of study at the Academy. Spoken Durosian can be found in use by spacers and traders galaxy wide, and in academic circles off of Duro at least, is commonly accepted as ancestral to the Nemodian language PakPak.

Duro in the Corellian Sector is the home world to the Duros species. It is a beautiful blue and green world with a large continent that hosts the race said to be among one of the first to achieve hyperspace flight. The native Duros enjoy their cool and wet planet, as its climate is extremely comfortable for their skin which often becomes overly dry in other atmospheres. The central continent is laid claims by two Duro nations on very friendly terms both historically and currently.

In the planet's orbit, the Duros constructed a top rate shipyard that is still in use today. The quality of ships built there rivals those from Corellia, and the quantity of ships produced every year does not fall far behind from their Corellian counterparts either. The shipyard is currently controlled by the Duro Delta Twelve, and has been for the past few hundred years. This company plays an interesting role in Duro politics as the Duros define an eligible voter as a holder of stock in one of the many Duro ship construction corporations, of which Duro Delta Twelve being the largest. Each share of stock represents one vote, so the small number of the majority owners of the companies is among the most influential politically. CorDuro Shipping is an example of another major corporation important in the politics of Duro. It is an interplanetary transportation corporation that was more recently formed, but with the founder and CEO's good direction, it has become one of the premier companies in the transportation industry for the Core. Financial analysts often say that this Duggan Station-based company is likely to be a major driving force in shaping the industry across the entire galaxy in the future.

A recent trend on the world of Duro is that the households are moving to the residential space stations up in orbit. The surfaces are slowly being taken over by the automated farms. The farms generate food so efficiently that food stuffs are slowly gaining more importance as an export.

The Duro are a humanoid species that are characterized by their moist blue skin, large red eyes, and long and thin faces. The Duro tend to be calm and peaceful by nature. However, when pushed they will bravely defend their persons with force. Besides their innate curiousness and adventurous natures, the Duro are probably best known for their masterful skills in storytelling. Much of the literature that the school children on Coruscant study today is translated from Duro legends. The Duro Academy graduates are also among the galaxy's top navigators, and it is common to find Duros being employed as master navigators for large shipping fleets.

Neimodians from the world of Neimodia, a planet near Coruscant, are close kin to the Duros. Though differences have grown in their appearances after millions of years of evolution, genetic tests have concluded that the Neimodians and Duros share the same ancestors that were probably closer to the modern day Duros than Neimodians. It has been theorized that Neimodia is likely one of the first colonies established by early Duro space explorers.